A Treasury from Blue Sulphur Springs: A Hand-Written Promise from 1875

“pleas attend to the matter an have the dee Readdy by the March cort so that I can get them when I com out”

Well hello there, neighbors. Pull up a chair while I share a little piece of our local history that just landed on my desk. It is a letter dated way back to March 13, 1875, sent from right here in Blue Sulphur Springs in Monroe County. When you hold it, you can almost feel the chill of that long-ago March morning. The paper is yellowed and brittle, showing the deep creases of being folded and tucked away for generations. There is a stubborn ink blotch right in the middle where a drop of brown ink fell, hiding a single word, but the rest of the handwriting is as clear as a bell. Bollyre Conway was writing to Mr. Lolin Gwin about a matter of some urgency. He needed deeds prepared for the heirs of Samuel Coffman—specifically William, A.H. Rader, and Louisa Jane—so that money could be secured on the land. We are talking about 370 acres across Lots 10 and 11, a significant piece of territory for any family to manage. Bollyre was mindful of the clock, asking for the papers to be ready by the March court session so he could collect them in person. In our modern world of instant emails, it is easy to forget the weight a physical letter once held. This scrap of paper wasn’t just a memo; it was a lifeline for the Coffman family heirs, ensuring their inheritance and their livelihood. It serves as a beautiful bridge to our ancestors, showing us that even 150 years ago, folks were looking out for their kin and making sure the business of life was handled with care and respect.

Original Transcription

1875
Blue Sulphur Springs March 13
Monroe County

Mr Lolin Gwin Sir after
My Respects to you and family
I wold just say to you that
if you and Brackenridge will
make your deeds to to Samuel
Coffmans heirs that you can get
the Money on the Coffman Land
the heirs names are
William M Coffman & wife
A H Rader & wife
Louisa Jane Coffman
the amount of Land that Coffman
Land Lays in Lots 10 & 11 170 acors
in Lot ten and 200 acrs in Lot
Eleven pleas attend to the matter
an have the dee Readdy by the
March cort so that I can get
them when I com out
yours
Bollyre Conway